We are Jonna, Mac, and Rob, and we are all friends of the Willers family.

This summer, Erik was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig Disease. The original intention of this Gofundme was to help the family deal with the current and expected medical expenses as Erik fought this awful disease, with his wife Patricia and 13 year old son Hudson by his side.

However, that has changed.

Erik passed away on Monday, November 9, sooner than anyone would have thought. This is devastating news and changes so many things.

However, it does not change our intention of helping Patricia and Hudson as they carry on without a husband or father.

Erik had a wide-ranging community of friendships, with summer camp and school heading the list. Strong, lifelong bonds formed at Camp Pathfinder during his 25 summers spent there, from young camper to senior staff. Hudson has spent parts of the last three summers there. Erik and Patricia even first met at Pathfinder, so there are strong ties.

Hudson attends Elmwood Franklin School. While Hudson will inevitably face many challenges as his mom navigate these rough waters, one support he can always count on is his school family. For all the wonderful things that Elmwood Franklin School is, the most enduring has always been its strong sense of community. We love each other, take care of each other, and become the shoulder on which to lean when things get difficult. We know that this community will rally around the Willers family and provide support in countless ways. For all those who have grown up with Hudson throughout the years at EFS, please utilize this GoFundMe, whether it be through donating or sharing, to support a fellow EFS family in need.

It is our hope that between these groups of friends, along with the many others who know and love the family, we can help Patricia and Hudson carry on without a dark financial cloud hanging over them as they come to terms with life without Erik. Finances will play a major role in their future, from home maintenance to Hudson's education to trying to simply maintain some sense of normalcy. in their lives. This is where we all can help as they try to somehow adjust to their new situation.

Nothing the three of us can say can explain this awful situation remotely as well as those from the man himself. Please read Erik's own words on his life-altering diagnosis, written just weeks before his passing. Tragically, the family will never get to spend that quality time together that he so yearned for. But together, we can give Patricia and Hudson a solid financial foundation to carry on and live their life together as best they can.

"My name is Erik. I am 55 years old, a husband to my wife, Patricia, and a dad to our son, Hudson. For most of my life, I have tried to live life to the fullest, work hard, take care of my family, and make memories that would last a lifetime.

One of the things I loved most was canoe tripping in the Canadian wilderness.

For me, those trips were about much more than canoeing. They were about paddling deep into the wilderness, carrying everything we needed, navigating lakes and rivers, setting up camp, sitting around a fire, and being completely immersed in nature. They were physically demanding adventures, but I loved every minute of them. The strength, independence, and freedom required to spend days in the wilderness were things I never took for granted.

I think about those canoe trips often.

There was a time when I could paddle for hours, carry a canoe and gear through the wilderness, and travel miles from the nearest road without giving it a second thought.

But today, my body is making even ordinary movements a challenge. I never imagined that one day simply walking across my house would become difficult.

You see, I have been diagnosed with ALS. It is a devastating disease that is taking away my strength and independence far too quickly. The progression has changed my life in ways I never could have imagined. Things I once did without thinking—walking, climbing stairs, getting up from a chair or bed, and taking care of everyday tasks—have become increasingly difficult

The hardest part isn’t what ALS is doing to me. It’s watching what it is doing to my family.

My wife, Patricia, has had to take on so much as we face an uncertain future together. And our son, Hudson, is only 13 years old. He should be worrying about school, friends, and being a kid—not watching his dad struggle with a disease like ALS.

I want to be there for Hudson. I want to watch him grow up. I want to take him on adventures, teach him the things I’ve learned, and make memories with him. I want Patricia and me to have more time together. I want more family dinners, more laughter, more camping trips, more sunsets, and more ordinary days - times that I once assumed would always be there.

ALS has made us realize just how precious those ordinary moments really are.

We don’t know exactly what the future will look like. ALS is unpredictable, and we know there will be difficult days ahead. But we are determined to face them together as a family.

Unfortunately, ALS also brings enormous financial challenges. My ability to work and provide the income I once did has been taken away.

This isn’t about living a life of luxury. It’s about making our home and our lives manageable as ALS continues to take away the physical abilities I once depended on. It’s about giving Patricia some help with the enormous responsibility she now carries. And it’s about giving Hudson the security and stability he deserves.

Every donation, no matter the amount, will make a difference.

If you can give $10, $20, $50, $100, or whatever amount you choose, please know that it will mean more to our family than I can ever put into words.

And if you aren’t able to donate, sharing this fundraiser is just as meaningful to us. You never know who might see it and be able to help.

I’ve spent much of my life pushing myself physically, whether it was working hard, exploring the Canadian wilderness, paddling into remote places, or doing whatever needed to be done for my family.

I never expected that my greatest challenge would be one I couldn’t paddle my way through.

But I don’t want ALS to define the rest of our story.

I want to spend the time I have making memories with Patricia and Hudson. I want to continue finding reasons to laugh. I want to see beautiful places, sit around campfires, and enjoy every moment that we are given.

Most of all, I want Patricia and Hudson to know how deeply they are loved.

We don’t know how much time we have, but we do know how much our family means to us. We are going to keep moving forward, one day at a time, together.

For the first time in my life, I’m asking my friends, family, and community to help us carry something that I can’t carry alone.

Thank you for reading our story, for supporting our family, for sharing this fundraiser, and for keeping Patricia, Hudson, and me in your thoughts and prayers.”

With love and gratitude,

Erik, Patricia & Hudson

It is obvious to all how much Erik loved his family. It is nothing short of tragic that he won't have that time with them he so longed for. But going forward, together we can all still make a difference. Thank you for taking the time to read this. We hope you will consider helping Patricia and Hudson by joining this drive as they face their challenging future without their beloved husband and father.

From their hearts and ours,

Jonna Wopperer, Mac Rand, and Rob Gallagher